I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

The heavy lead door slowly closed behind us with a dull thud, completely shutting out the noise and dampness from the outside world.

The underground laboratory of the history department returned to deathly silence, the air circulation system humming as it drew away the lingering musty and bloody smells.

Rod did not rest immediately.

He first checked the defensive runes around the laboratory.

He then went into a secret room at the deepest part of the laboratory.

This was originally a compartment for storing highly dangerous cultural relics. The walls were inlaid with magic-resistant gold, making it the safest corner in the entire underground area.

Professor Isaac was slumped in his chair, holding a cup of hot water in his hands, his eyes still somewhat glazed over.

"Professor, go and rest." Rhodes said calmly as he took off his coat, which was covered in mud and alchemical potion residue. "The work ahead involves high-level magical radiation, which is harmful to ordinary people."

Professor Isaac looked up, opened his mouth as if to ask something, such as about the heart, or Mortimer's last words.

But looking into Rhodes's unfathomable black eyes, he finally just nodded, put down his water glass, and staggered out.

The door to the secret room closed.

Rhodes walked to the lab bench, took out the heavy lead box from his pocket, and the parchment manuscript tucked into his boot.

He opened the lead box first.

The fossilized heart of an ancient siren lay quietly on a black velvet cushion.

Once outside the magical environment of the Necropolis, it looks like an ordinary grayish-white stone, its surface covered with rough barnacle marks.

But Rhodes could clearly sense that beneath this rocky outer shell lay a vast and chaotic biomagnetic field.

The "Species Atlas" in my mind vibrated again, and the sound of pages turning echoed in my consciousness.

[Target: Ancient Sea Monster (Mythical Species - Incomplete)]

[Status: Necromantic energy corruption level 92%, Abyssal Will remaining 5%]

[Note: Contaminants must be removed before extraction.]

"As expected, it can't be used directly."

Rhodes was not disappointed; this was within his expectations.

Mortimer used this heart as the core of the beacon, infusing it with too much necromantic magic and resentment, and now it's like a container full of impurities.

He pushed the lead box aside and unfolded the roll of parchment manuscript.

This is Mortimer's life's work, recording the core technologies of "soul stripping," "biological modification," and "magic loop grafting."

Rod lit a whale oil lamp and, by its dim light, began to read word by word.

The manuscript was written in a messy and chaotic manner, filled with numerous corrections and bizarre symbols.

Mortimer was clearly in a state of extreme excitement when he was recording these things.

"...The soul is not an indivisible whole; it's more like a rope woven from memories, emotions, and instincts. Once you find the end of that rope, you can unravel it..."

"...Implanting the extracted pure consciousness into a blank body is the first step in creating a perfect companion. But the rejection reaction is the biggest obstacle. I discovered that the pituitary gland secretions of deep-sea creatures can neutralize this rejection..."

Rhodes reads very quickly.

He possesses experience as a surgeon from a previous life, giving him a natural understanding of this combination of anatomy and mysticism.

Two hours later, he closed the manuscript and rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

Mortimer is indeed a madman, but he is also a genius.

This manuscript records a technique called "spirit surgery".

Through specific magical frequencies and mental guidance, it is possible to forcibly strip away the external will attached to an object or creature.

This is exactly what Rhodes needs right now.

He could not only use this technology to remove the necromantic contamination from the siren's heart, but more importantly, it provided him with a way to control the massive underground construct army.

That underground core requires a biometric key.

Originally, Rhodes planned to crack the key, but now that he had this manuscript, he had a more direct solution: since he couldn't find the original key, he would extract the identification mechanism from the lock cylinder and replace it with his own.

"However, before that, we need to clean this stone."

Rod turned his gaze back to the lead box.

He needs the genes in this heart.

Sirens are mythical creatures, and even with incomplete genes, they can achieve a qualitative leap.

Moreover, this heart itself is a high-energy aggregate, and once purified, it will become the best source of magic.

Rhodes stood up and walked to the materials shelf.

As a "Royal Honorary Scholar" and "Plague Savior," he now has the authority to access the resources of the Royal Treasury.

The shelves were filled with the precious materials that Benjamin had previously brought in.

He took out a bottle of high-purity mercury, a can of radiant dust, and a scalpel made of white crystal.

Rhodes removed the heart from the lead box and placed it on the experimental table engraved with magic-guiding patterns.

He first slowly poured mercury along the texture of the heart's surface. Under the influence of gravity, the mercury filled the holes left by the barnacles, forming a silvery net.

Then, he sprinkled on the radiant dust.

"Sizzle..."

White smoke rose, and the black death aura clinging to the surface of the heart began to boil under the stimulation of the light element, emitting a faint shriek.

Rhodes gripped the crystal scalpel, took a deep breath, and focused his mental energy.

Instead of cutting through the stone, he held the scalpel an inch above the heart.

According to Mortimer's manuscript, he began to adjust his mental frequency to simulate the vibration of a scalpel.

"Stripping".

Rhodes gave a low shout and slashed downwards with the crystal knife in his hand.

It was as if something in the air had been cut off.

A visible black mist was forcibly pulled out from inside the heart. It twisted and struggled in mid-air, trying to return to the stone, but it had nowhere to escape under the blockade of radiant dust and mercury.

Rhodes waved his left hand, splashing a stream of [Secondary Acid] onto the black mist.

The black gas dissolved in the acid, turning into a pool of foul-smelling black water that flowed into the waste tank.

As the black mist dissipated, the grayish stone began to change.

The outer shell of the rock peeled away layer by layer, revealing the crystal-clear core inside.

It was a crystal heart, a deep sea blue color, only the size of a fist, but it emanated a pure and breathtaking energy.

It was no longer an inanimate object, but began to pulsate extremely slowly.

"Thump...thump..."

With each pulse, the water elements in the laboratory would cheer and rejoice.

The Species Atlas in my mind vibrated again, but this time, there were no warning messages.

As the pages turned, the previously blurry images instantly became clear.

It was a creature with the upper body of a seductive woman, the lower body of a giant fish tail, and long hair that flowed like seaweed.

She sings in the storm, her voice piercing the soul.

[Species Included: Ancient Siren (after purification)]

[Completeness: 45% (Core source material retained)]

[Extractable Traits: Siren's Song (Mind Control/Sonic Attack), Deep Sea Adaptability (Underwater Breathing/Pressure Resistance), Water Element Affinity (Intermediate)]

Rhodes looked at the three options, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

【Song of the Siren】is a powerful control technique, and when combined with his current 【Thunder Frog】sonic ability, it can create a terrifying cumulative effect.

[Deep-Sea Adaptability] allows him to ignore the limitations of the aquatic environment, which is crucial for exploring underground rivers or future maritime operations.

Water element affinity is the foundation for becoming a formal wizard.

"extract."

Without hesitation, Rhodes reached out and placed his hand on the blue crystalline heart.

A chilling yet vibrant energy surged through my arm and into my body.

This time there was no excruciating pain, only a refreshing feeling of the soul being cleansed.

Rhodes felt his throat change again; his vocal cords became stronger, and his lungs seemed to expand, allowing him to take in more oxygen with each breath.

At the same time, his mental strength began to surge.

Originally at the peak of the intermediate apprentice level, the mental power of this high-level energy broke through the barrier without any hindrance.

Advanced apprentice.

Rhodes opened his eyes, a faint blue light flashing deep within his pupils.

He opened his mouth and tried to let out a low moan.

"Ah~~"

The sound wasn't loud, but the lab bench in front of me shook violently, and the glass bottle containing mercury shattered, its fragments floating in mid-air as if weightless.

"Mental interference with matter."

Rod clenched his fist in satisfaction.

He is now only one step away from becoming a formal wizard.

Once he has constructed a sufficiently complex spell model and solidified it in his mental sea, he can advance to the next level.

However, now is not the time.

Rhodes concealed his aura and placed the heart, which had lost most of its luster and become translucent, back into the lead box.

Although the genes were extracted, this stuff is still an excellent casting material and shouldn't be wasted.

Just then, there was a knock on the laboratory door.

Rhodes straightened his robes, locked the lead box and manuscript in the safe, and then opened the door.

The fat businessman Benjamin scurried in, sweating profusely, carrying a huge food box and wearing a fawning smile.

"Mr. Rhodes, you've been inside all day. This is some roast meat and red wine I got from the best restaurant upstairs; please have some."

Benjamin arranged the food while secretly observing Rod's expression.

He noticed that Rhodes's demeanor seemed to have changed again, becoming more profound and elusive, standing there like a bottomless pool of water.

"How's it going outside?" Rod sat down, cut a piece of roast meat, and put it in his mouth.

"It was chaotic, but we managed to stabilize it."

Benjamin wiped his sweat and reported, "The Silence Potion is working very well; the corpses are no longer exploding, and the spread of the plague has been cut off. The Iron Duke's army has taken control of the ruins of the Necropolis and is conducting a thorough search. However..."

He lowered his voice: "I heard they found nothing. Mortimer's body, and that so-called beacon matrix, have all turned into a pool of green water. The Duke is very unhappy and is throwing a tantrum."

Rod chewed his food expressionlessly.

Of course you can't find it.

The essence of the mother's body became that heart, which is now in his safe.

As for Mortimer, he had long since merged with the mother.

"What about the king?" Rhodes asked.

"His Majesty is very pleased," Benjamin said immediately. "Lord Sieg brought back news that you not only solved the plague, but also brought back key samples from the underground ruins. His Majesty has ordered that a formal commendation ceremony be held at the Royal Palace tomorrow morning to confer upon you the title of 'Royal Honorary Scholar'."

"Honorary Scholar..."

"There's one more thing." Benjamin hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from his pocket.

"What is this?"

"It's... an invitation to a dinner from the Lightforged family," Benjamin said cautiously. "They say it's because you exposed Mortimer's crime of trafficking Lightforged corpses, and they want to thank you in person."

Rhodes accepted the invitation, his fingers tracing the sun emblem that symbolized light.

grateful?

It's probably not that simple.

The Lightforged family is a staunch supporter of the Church, and while Rhodes' use of the Church to combat the Necromancers helped them, it also demonstrated a daunting approach.

This was both a test and an attempt to win them over.

"I see."

Rhodes put the invitation away: "Tell them I'll be there on time."

Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief and was about to take his leave when Rod suddenly called him back.

"Benjamin."

"Yes, sir."

"For the next batch of silencing agent production, reduce the concentration by half."

Benjamin was stunned: "Huh? Why? Isn't the effect good now?"

"The plague is under control, so we don't need such a potent medicine," Rhodes said calmly. "Besides, if the medicine is too effective, how can we demonstrate the importance of follow-up maintenance? We need to make the people of the capital understand that without our medicine, they could relapse at any time."

"Only persistent fear can bring persistent profits and power."

Benjamin looked at Rhodes' calm face and suddenly shivered.

He had always thought of himself as a shrewd businessman, but compared to the man in front of him, he felt as innocent as a baby.

"Yes... I understand." Benjamin lowered his head and respectfully withdrew.

Rod picked up his knife and fork again and continued to enjoy his dinner.

He ate very slowly and carefully.

Because he knew that he would need to expend a lot of energy in the days to come.

He still needs to crack the control core of the underground legion, Mortimer's manuscript needs to be studied in depth, and the so-called "honorary scholar" identity requires him to maintain it with more lies.

But that's exactly what he wanted.

In this cutthroat world, only those who have enough chips can sit at the poker table.

Rod swallowed the last bite of meat and turned his gaze toward the safe.

"Next up is that underground legion."

He stood up and walked toward the passage leading deeper underground.

Now that we have the method to make the key, it's time to go and check out the lock.